Standing in the Shadows. Part 2
by Bounce
Summary: Jubilee is kidnapped and forced to become an assasin.


Standing in the Shadows. Part 2  
  
Rated PG-13 By Bounce.  
Disclaimer: all the characters belong to Marvel. I am using them without permission.  
  
  
Cable got up and walked around to stand in front of Lee. She swallowed convulsively. I   
hate telepaths. I really hate them. "So metal man, this going to hurt?" Her voice was   
utterly calm, none of the fear she felt showing.   
  
Cable shook his head. "No. It shouldn't."  
  
* * * ** * * *  
  
Domino sent sarcastic laughter down the link. :: It won't hurt. Have you ever done this   
before Nate? ::  
  
:: No. But I should be able to figure it out.:: Nate turned to look at Lee. She met his eyes   
easily, both the natural gray and the glowing gold. He was mildly impressed. Most   
people found it difficult to do that. The fact that one of his eyes glowed golden tended to   
put them off.   
  
He reached out with a tendril of psi energy assessing whether or not she had any natural   
shielding. Nathan's eyes widened. He had never seen shields so strong on a non-psi   
before. Emma's voice cut smoothly into his thoughts. ::Jubilee always had some latent   
telepathic ability. She must have learnt to develop that into psi shielding. ::  
  
"Lee I'm going to have to ask you to lower your shields. I can't give you the scan until   
you do." He saw a flash of panic behind Lee's blue eyes before she nodded sharply. A   
moment later her shields slid down exposing her mind to the telepaths. Cable reached to   
one side and grabbed a chair. He sat down in front of Lee and looked directly into her   
eyes. It wasn't necessary to establish eye contact. It just made things easier. He   
carefully blocked out his awareness of the room and the people in it, focusing inwards.   
He reached out with a telepathic probe and slid into Lee's thoughts.   
  
Dark cords of guilt and pain snaked through her mind. Each one was attached to a   
memory of a particular person. Curiously he reached out and touched one and was   
engulfed in a memory.  
  
~… he'll kill you for sure if you try. Or worse he'll send you to the tombs." Three youths   
stared back at me. They all wore blue bodysuits and inhibitor collars. One of them   
shrugged and shook her head.  
  
"It doesn't matter Lee. I have to get out of here." She paused for a second "You think I   
don't know what he'll do to me if I try and escape? I'm too chickenshit to pull the trigger   
myself Lee" Allie's voice was a rough whisper as she spoke. I jerked as though I'd been   
shot. I knew what she meant. We were all of us too damn scared to pull the trigger   
ourselves.   
  
"All right. Do it. Maybe you'll get lucky Al. Maybe you'll get out." I turned away before   
they could see the tears. I never saw Allie again. ~  
  
Nathan shook his head, clearing the last of the memory form his mind. He carefully   
walled himself off from the dark ropes of memory. He knew what they contained now. He   
looked around, past them and further into Lee's mind. A black mist covered most of her   
thoughts and tarnished the few bright spots showing. He reached out and touched it   
careful this time to make sure that none of the associated memories came with it. This   
had been generated by Lee's own mind. It appeared to be the mental representation of   
the training Spectrum had given her. Nathan walked deeper into Lee's mind, looking for   
the older memories from before Spectrum. It would be easier to see how much damage   
had been done to her mind from there. He found himself having to pick his way past   
jagged pillars and boulders and deep yawning chasms. Each one represented a different   
thought. Wound through these were glittering shards of something that rippled through   
every conceivable color. Some were bright and shone through the darkness. Others   
were so dark they formed patches of shadow. Nathan looked at one. It took him a   
moment to realize that they were memories as they were so different to the ropes of   
shadow he had seen earlier. He frowned, thinking. Lee's older memories would probably   
be closer to the center of her mind.   
  
He walked forward through the black mist and glittering shards of memory for what felt   
like several hours though he knew that it was probably only a few minutes. Time did   
strange things inside person's thoughts.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity the black mist and memories stopped as though they   
had been sheared off a knife. There was a stretch of something like fine white sand and   
in the middle of it was a globe, like a gigantic soap bubble eighty feet across.   
  
"Oath" All of a sudden he realized that Lee really did not think of herself as Jubilee   
anymore. Such a degree of separation between memories could never have happened if   
she didn't think of herself as two separate people. This is not healthy. He moved closer   
and touched the glistening barrier. It was warm and slickly wet and parted slightly to let   
his fingers through. Nathan watched fascinated as it sealed up around his hand still   
forming a single unbroken surface. It seemed to exist only to keep the two parts of Lee's   
life separate rather than as a memory suppression barrier that tried to bury painful   
memories, walling them off from the rest of the mind.   
  
There were no traces of a foreign telepaths work anywhere in this level of Jubilee's   
mind. The changes in her personality were just the result of the year's in-between and   
the terrible things she'd seen and done. Nathan had thought as much form the beginning   
though Jean and Xavier hadn't agreed.  
  
Nathan allowed himself to sink deeper into her mind past the layers of chaotic nightmare   
shapes, colors and sounds that formed dreams to the level below that. The realm of   
reflex and instinct. Here it was hard to remain Nathan and not dissolve into a thousand   
thousand fragments of thought and memory and desire and instinct. Here too there were   
no traces other telepaths. No one had tampered with her mind. All of a sudden Nathan   
realized he was exhausted, having drained himself to a level he seldom reached. If he   
spent any more time in the depths of Jubilee's mind he would find himself too weak to   
get out again. Oath. I didn't realize it took this much out of you. He gathered himself   
together and catapulted out of her mind and back into his own body.   
  
His eyes shot open and Nathan looked around the room. He could feel Domino's   
concern through the link as well as curiosity. He turned to face Xavier.  
  
"Good news. Lee's mind hasn't been tampered with."  
  
"Perhaps one of the more experienced telepaths should verify that. After all Jubilee has   
under gone a substantial personality change"   
  
Lee shrugged. "You would have too if you'd just spent the last eight years living in a   
Spectrum base."  
  
Logan jerked and a stricken look appeared on his face. "I'm sorry darlin'. I'm sorry we   
didn't come for you sooner."  
  
* * * ** * * *  
  
*Shit Logan. I'm not going to cry. I'm not*. "Ya didn't know remember? Don't worry 'bout   
it." Lee shrugged and appeared unconcerned by it.  
  
Domino spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun "So what'll you do now?"  
  
"Jubilation will, of course, return to her teammates in Generation X" said Storm. Sean   
and Emma were nodding.  
  
"What would I do there Storm? Be an instructor? A third co-headmaster? Teach the   
kiddies how to kill?" She smiled lazily. "Artie and Leech are still pretty young. They   
haven't had any real training yet. I could make real good assassins out of them." Storm,   
Sean, Xavier, every adult in the room looked horrified by what Lee suggested. She went   
on. "An' Storm, I know I've said this before but could you please call me Lee"  
  
Xavier frowned. "This brings us to an interesting point. Why did you change your name?"  
  
God not you too. I had to dammit. Couldn't be Jubilee with this many deaths on   
my hands. Lee sighed. "Because I wasn't comfortable being Jubilee anymore." At their   
puzzled looks she explained "Jubilee was a hero. I'm not. Hero's don't do what I've   
done. And they called me Jubilee too. So I'd prefer it if you didn't." she kept her voice   
calm and cold.  
  
He nodded.   
  
"So lass what will you be doing now?"  
  
"I" I don't know. I never thought that far. I always figured I'd die in Spectrum base.   
"I never really thought about it Irish."   
  
"How about making Spectrum Pay for what they did ta ya darlin'"   
"Yeah. I'll destroy those fucks. I'll get them back for what they did to John and Allie and   
Jazz and all of us." It felt great saying that. Lee got up from her chair. "The interviews   
over Xavier. I'm not going to talk about the other stuff because it really isn't any of your   
business." She walked out the door.   
  
* * * ** * * *  
  
Lee sat down cross-legged on a picnic table in the backyard sandwich in hand. The   
nearby area was deserted. Idly she wondered where GenX was. She shrugged. It didn't   
really matter. She twitched her shoulders lightly. The interview with the Professor and   
various team leaders had left her tired. And letting Cable play in your head probably   
didn't help either. It had been harder to give selective reports to people she trusted   
than it had been reporting to the Spectrum guards after missions for them. They   
couldn't have faced some of the things I did for Spectrum. Hell I don't like thinking   
about some of that. Unbidden memories of the worst missions flashed through her   
mind.   
  
~ The child screamed as I shot his parents. His screams turned to whimpers as   
I turned the gun on him "Mama! Mama help! Help me! Mama!" I was crying as I shot him   
between the eyes. It was the last time I ever cried there. ~   
  
Lee gasped and shuddered as she forced that memory away. I didn't cry again for six   
years. Not till yesterday. I'm sorry kid. I had to. They would have killed me if I   
didn't. She heard a footstep behind her. Whirling Lee pulled a knife and stopped herself   
a hairs breadth away from throwing it as she recognized Angelo. The knife disappeared   
as quickly as it had appeared. He didn't appear to have noticed.   
  
The gray-skinned youth said, "We're going back to the Massachusetts Academy now.   
Ms Frost said you weren't coming back with us."  
  
"Yeah. I've got some – personal – stuff to take care of."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
Lee shrugged. "Like destroying Spectrum Base."  
  
Angelo blinked. "Um. Okay. Then what'll you do once you've done that?"  
  
"I dunno." Lee reached out and caught hold of his shoulder. "Take care huh Angelo."   
  
He nodded. "Yep. See ya Jubes." He walked away to join his teammates.   
  
Lee sat down again and finished her sandwich. I'm going to miss them. She knew that   
she'd already spent years away from her friends but this time it was different. This time   
she was choosing to leave them behind. "Hey Remy."  
  
The Cajun thief walked out from the shadows he'd been standing in. Lee had known   
he'd been there the whole time. He'd arrived during her conversation with Angelo.   
"Petite, 'ow did you know Gambit was dere?"   
  
"Assassins secret Gambit."   
  
He choked. "Merde. You're an assassin? You workin' for de Guild?"  
  
"Nah. I'm freelance, as of yesterday."  
  
"Gambit 'eard dat you'd 'ad some adventures lately Cherie."  
  
Lee thought back to a hit she'd been asked to do last year. They'd wanted her to kill   
Gambit. His file had been interesting. She'd gotten the hit reassigned to Jazz. She hadn't   
succeeded. Lee wondered if it was true, that he had formed the Marauders and was   
responsible for the deaths of the Morlocks. She shook her head mentally. Lee knew she   
could never ask just as she'd never admit to most of the things she'd done over the   
years. "Yeah. I done some wild things over the years."   
  
"So petite, what 'ave been doing?"  
  
"Don't ask Gambit. Don't ask and I won't mention the Morlocks. Deal?"  
  
He paled. "'Ow did you know about dat?"   
  
"I had a hit tasked on you a while back. There was a file on you. Friend of mine Jazz   
eventually took it. Would have been about a year before you hooked up with the X-Men."  
  
Gambit nodded. "I'm sorry Cherie. If Gambit 'ad known she was one of your friends 'e   
wouldn't 'ave killed 'er."  
  
Lee shrugged. "It's cool. I shouldn't have mentioned the Morlocks." She paused for a   
moment thinking. He would probably know. Or a contact of his would. "Say Gambit,   
you ever heard of Spectrum?"  
  
Gambit gave a wary nod. "Oui. What about dem?"  
  
"I gotta business proposition for you then. I'm after making sure they go down hard.   
You've got a lot of contacts that could be damn useful. I'd like you to help." Lee watched   
him carefully, alert for the tiniest signs of doubt or disagreement with her idea  
  
"Shouldn't de X-Men be handlin' dis?"  
  
"No. How much do know about Spectrum?"  
  
"Some. Enough to know dey did some seriously nasty tings."  
  
"Yeah. And Storm and Cyke, storming in like they do would be slaughtered. You'd need   
to be subtle, sneaky, to get in there. Tha's why I want you to help Remy."   
  
There was a long pause before he answered. "Would we be going in dere on our own?'   
He appeared interested. Good. Lee knew she probably couldn't do this without him.  
  
"No. I'm going to try and get Cable and Domino and Wolvie alongside." Those three had   
made careers out of trying to beat the odds on missions like this. And were all better at   
doing sneaky than the X-Men. Course, smashing your way in destroying the place   
on your way out does have its merits. Lee thought wryly.   
  
* * * ** * * *  
  
Lee was watching TV later that night. Gah. This show's really bad she thought at the   
TV and the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond that was currently playing. Those   
two guys have a really sick relationship with their mother. She flicked the remote,   
changing the channel. Cartoons. The RoadRunner meep-meeped as the Coyote fell off   
a cliff then had a ton weight fall on his head. –Click- Some police were investigating an   
ugly double suicide. – Click- Buffy staked a vampire. – Click- Lee paused at the music   
video channel. She liked this song. Lee began to hum along with the words.  
  
~ … Love will lead us, alright  
  
Love will lead us, she will lead us  
  
Can you hear the dolphins cry?   
  
See the road rise up to meet us  
  
It's in the air we breathe tonight  
  
Love will lead us, she will lead us… ~  
  
Lee shook her head. She was putting it off. She was going to have to talk to Logan   
sooner or later. But I don't wanna! He looks so guilty whenever I try an' talk to him.   
She sighed. Part of her was glad of that. Felt that he deserved it. After all he hadn't   
come for her, hadn't rescued her. *I'm going to have to talk to him soon anyway, get this   
sorted out. If he decides to come with me and Remy we can't have this coming up in the   
middle of a fight. I really can't keep putting it off.* Lee got up and headed outside. She   
sniffed the air carefully, smelling Logan's cigars. She frowned trying to locate him. On   
the patio. Closing her eyes for a minute she strained her ears unable to hear more than   
one person there. She may not have had super-senses before Spectrum got their hands   
onto her but she did now. One of their little 'improvements'. It had saved her life more   
times than could remember. Lee walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers out of   
the fridge. She walked out to the patio via the kitchen door.   
  
"Hey Wolvie! Thirsty?" she tossed one of the beers to her adoptive father and sat down   
opposite him her own beer in hand. She blinked surprised as Logan snatched the bottle   
out of her hand. "Hey! What the fuck d'ya think ya doing?!" she snarled.  
  
"You shouldn't be drinking that stuff darlin'."  
  
"Yeah well, I'm legal now. Can I have my drink back?" Logan sighed and handed the   
beer back to Lee.  
  
"Here. You get a hangover it's your own damn fault."  
  
"So, Wolvie, ya want ta go to Harry's?"   
  
"You realize they won't let drink"  
  
Snort "S'ok. I was gonna have you buy anyway."  
  
A few minutes later Logan pushed the bar door open. Lee slipped over to a booth in the   
corner. A moment later Logan joined her, placing a beer on the table in front of her. Lee   
took a long drink and wriggled back in the booth seat, looking at him  
  
"I really missed you Wolvie." He winced again and looked away. Christ. This is hard.   
Why does he feel so bad about it? S'not like he could have done anything, or   
knew. Lee shrugged. "Don't feel so bad about it Wolvie. You couldn't have done   
anything. By your time I was only gone for about three hours."  
  
"I know darlin'. It gets to me though, that I never got to see you grow up."   
  
Lee took another sip of her beer. She grinned suddenly, seeming like her old self again.   
She gestured over at the bartender. " You know, he thinks you're a pervert. He thinks   
you're trying to get my drunk so you can rape me." Her mouth twisted.   
  
Logan stared at her. "How do you know that?"   
  
"Remember, I always had a bit of latent telepathy? I got a device in my head that   
amplifies now. Got a range of about eighty feet."   
  
He shook his head. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry kiddo."  
  
Lee shrugged. "How 'bout thank you? There was a hit years ago that I managed to   
cancel."  
  
Logan blinked. "Thank you darlin'"   
  
Lee looked at him steadily. "You over the whole guilt thing yet?"  
  
He gave a bark of laughter. "No. Not entirely."   
  
"Tough. You wanna come blow up Spectrum base with me and Remy?"   
  
"Yeah. I'd like that darlin'. I take it you don't want the X-men coming too?"  
  
"No. They couldn't handle it."   
  
"Fair enough." Logan glanced at his watch. "It's late darlin'. We should head back to the   
Mansion."   
  
Lee nodded. She gave a slight smile as Logan glared at the bartender on the way out. 


End file.
